Can-cleaning apparatus.



0. H. HOOD. CAN CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1907.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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i fiaca) G. H. HOOD.

CAN CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12, 1907.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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G. H. HOOD.

CAN CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1907.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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" CAN-CLEANING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Feb. 15, 1910;

Application filedAug ust 12, 1907. Serial No. 388,096.

To it concern:

Ber-it known that I CHARLES H. Hoon, a

citizen of, the United States, and resident of Somerville, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Can-Cleaning Apparatus,

of which the following description, in convention.

In the drawings, Figure, 1 is a view in side elevation, parts being broken away, of a f by a belt 24, thereby tending to brush out the "apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional detail of the outgoing end of the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is atop plan view thereof.

The inclosing housing 1, guide bars 2, 3,

track bars 4, 5, inlet end 6, air circulation apparatus 7 tank 8, screen 9, catch basin 10,

- sewer pipe 11, rinsing-water pipe 12, cleansying-water pipe 13, steam-jet'pipe 14, air

pipes 15, and the general construction of the, outgoing end 16 may be, and preferably are, constructed and organized the same as in my before mentioned patent.

I'have, however, lengthened the apparatus at least the width of one can, so as to be able to save the can drippings, and so as to prevent so much greasy matter going into the sewer. The cans, as ordinarily received for washing, contain more or less milk,

which, in the aggregate is a large amount,

and it is not only ob ectionable to have this-gointo the sewer, but it is an unnecessary waste of material which can be advanta'geously saved for feeding hogs, etc.

Accordingly, to accomplish this purpose without delaying the work or interfering with the proper rogress and handling of the cans, I have engthened the housin at least the width of a can, and provide at the entrance end in front of thecatch basin 10 and pipe 11 a downwardly inclined wall 17, terminating in a trough 18 provided lodge the water.

with a ledge 19- at its upper edge, so that the operator can conveniently rest the neck of the can over said trough. as he about to place the can on the tracks 1, 5, thereby permitting all the contained milk residuum todrip' into the trough 18' during the interval when the can is bottom side up and necessarily in approximately stationary position While it is being placed on the racks. Fromthe trough 18 a pipe 20 leads to a ,pump, not shown, or other suitable means .housing a hood or arched portion 21, in

which is journaled on a shaft 22 a rotary brush 23, driven by anysuitable means, as

or whisk out'nearly all the water which may have lodged as stated. Thebrush has its bristles of a length to reach down past the rims of the cans into'the depressed bottoms of said cans and brush out the surface of said bottoms, and the solid-hub-part of the brush is close to but out of interference with the rims as the cans pass along. The

brushes rotate in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, thereby whisking'the water and moisture rearwardly'. To complete the desired result, I provide an. air-blast or steam-blast,

"delivered from a pipe 25 directed opposite to the movement of the cans. Thus the air blast and the brushing movement cooperate in delivering and carrying an the moisture rearwardly 1n the direction .oppositeto the movement of the cans.

At the outgoing end of the machine, where t-hecans are automatically delivered for inspection, I have so arranged the mechan ism that the dumping of all the cans across the entire width of the apparatus is controlled by the-operator who feeds the cans in, said mechanism being best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where it will be seen that in front of the successive series 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 of cans, as herein shown, I have provided a single holder 32- journaled at the opposite sides of the machine at 33, so as to swing up from the full line position to the dotted line position, Fig. 2. Fast on the journaled shaft 33 of this holder is an eccentric hub or pul-' to offset to some extent the wei ht of the cans as the latter descend with t e holder, as will be presently explained. Adjacent the column or series of cans 31 is a rod 40 normally held turned inwardly into the position shown in the drawin s by a spring 41, and journaled vertically in rackets 42. Adjacent its lower end is a catch 43 to engage a lug 44 on the adjacent end of the holder 32, and in the path of said series 31 the rod is provided with a tri arm 45 normally projecting as shown in ig. 3. Above the cans are spring retarders or holders 46 which perform substantially the same function as in my before mentioned application. Thus the operator at the ingoing end of the mac ine pushes the cans along 1n the successive passageways of the apparatus until each col-- umn or series 26, 2,7, 28, 29, and 30 is full,

'tion shown in fulLlines in the forward cans thereof occu ying the posi- I ig. 2. T ereupon he shoves one more can into the remaining passageway, which completes the series 31, bringing the outermost can into tripping position. As it is shoved forward, it engages the trip 45, and rotates the rod 40 forward and outward, thereby disengaging the catch or do 43 from the lug 44.

This releases the hol or 32, and immediately the counter balance weight 38 starts the holder upward, its motion being accelerated somewhat by the counter weight 39, which, however, ceases to influence this upward movement just as the holder is about to engage its cans, so that although the upward movement is quite rapid the holder almost stops before it engages-the cans, and therefore engages the cans lightly and without damage. As the holder enga es the cans it lifts the springs 46, so that t e wei ht of all the front row of cans comes imme iatelyupon the holder, thereby ov'erbalancing the counterbalance. weight 38 and causing the cans to turn downwardly at once in position forinspection, and as this movement is quite rapid and'the holder is provided with an inclined foot 47, the cans are usually thrown or ejected right side up onto a discharge table 48, whlch inclines at its outoing end 49 as shown. The attendant at t e outgoing end of the machine at once glances mto each can to see that its-interior is perfectly dry, and then sim 1y shoves all 'the cansright side up to the eft down the incline 49. By this time the operator. at the ingoing end of the machine has another comlement of cans ready, and automatically ifts the holder into receivin position by again pushing forward the co? 31 as before. As the cans dump down, the

leverage, or in other words, said counter- .metrically opposite sides of their common axis 33, both reach horizontal position at the same time, thereby preventing the cans from lowering so rapidly that the ap aratus would be damaged when it strikes t e'bunter 50. Adjacent the table 48 I provide a catch basin 51 and grid 52 as an extra recaution, to catch any condensation or. d iip from the housing or outside bottoms of the cans which might possibly collect and escape from the outgoing end of the apparatus.

I do not intend torestrict myself to details, except as required by the claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLettei-s Patent, is:

means rovi ing a way for receiving, directing an permittm the successive passage of inverted cans, was ing and cleansing apparatus and sterilizi cessively'along sai way, combined with a.

in front of the washing ap aratus for reasthey are dum ed bottom upward, said way and trough ingconstructed and arranged to-coiiperate in' facilitating the inverting of the cans at'this point and the umping of their contents into said trough just prior to. their apparatus. I

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, containing means providing away for receiving anddirecting the successive passage of inverted cans, and guiding means for said cans,-a trough and pipe leading therefrom located at the entrance of. said way ap'proximatelybeneath the front end of said lding means, said trough having a ledge 1n front of said guiding means in, position to aid in inverting the can for dumping the can is delivered bottom side up to said idmg means, and. washing means locate beas it asses alongthe way.

3. n an apparatus of the 'kind'described containing means providing a plurality of ways for receiving, directing an delivering a corresponding plurality of series of i n'- verted milk-cans, means for engaging and dumping simultaneously the front can of balance weight 39 and the cans, being at diaapparatus located suc .ceiving the drip from the insides of'the cans contents of the can into the trough as the umn or series weight 39 reaches its position of greatest 1. In an apparatus of the kind described, A

trough at the entrance'end ofthe apparatus passage to the washing yond said front end farther along the way for subsequently washing the dumped can containing means providing a plurality of ways for receiving, directing and delivering a corresponding plurality of series of .inverted milk-cans, means for engaging and dumping simultaneously the front can of each of said series, and automatic tripping means for said dumping means, said tripping means containing releasing mechanism under the control of the operator at the feeding-in end of the machine.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, containing means providing a way for receiving and directing a series of inverted milk-cans, and automatic dumping mechanism the outgoing end of the apparatus, comprising a holder pivoted to swin upwardly to receive a can and downwar 1y to deliver said can, said holder h'a' ng an inclined foot for aidin in ejectin the cans when the latter have been lowered 6. In an apparatus of the kind described, containing means forreceiving and directing a series of inverted milk-cans, and automatic dumping mechanism at the outgoing end of the apparatus, comprising a holder pivoted to swing upwardly to receive a can and downwardly to deliver said can, a counter weight normally tending to swing the holder into its up position, and locking means for locking the can in its down position, said locking means having an inwardly projecting releasing trip in position to be engaged by a forwardly moving can to re-' lease the holder and permit the counter weight to swing the latter upward into position to receive the can. 7 In an apparatus of the kind described,

containing means for receiving and directing a series of inverted milk-cans, and automatic dumping mechanism at the outgoing end of the apparatus, comprising a holder pivoted to swing upwardly to receive a can and downwardly to deliver said can, means for normally moving the holder into its up position to receix e a can, and counterbalance means arranged diametrically opposite said holder for counterbalancing the weight of the can as the holder and can swing downwardly.

8. In an apparatus of'the kind described, containing means for receiving and directing a series of inverted milk-cans, and automatic dumping mechanism at the outgoing end of the apparatus, comprising a holder pivoted to swing upwardly to receive a can and )downwardly to deliver said can, an eccentric pulley fast on the shaft of said holder, a counterbalance weight and cord for actuating said pulley and holder, said pulleys'and cord being secured and positioned on the apparatus to normally hold the weight adjacent the top of the apparatus.

9. In an apparatus of the kind described, containing means'for receiving and directing a series ofinverted milk-cans, and automatic dumping mechanism at the outgoing end ofthe apparatus, comprising a holder pivoted to swing upwardly to receive a can and downwardly to deliver said can, a grid vertically below said dumping means, and

means below said grid for receiving and" conducting away the drippings from theinverted cans as they halt 1n position to be engaged by the holder.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. noon.

Witnesses:

GEo. H. MAXWELL,

M. J. SPALDING. 

